Ground Assault is a cooperative PvE gamemode where players defend a capture zone against waves of AI-controlled enemies while using tanks and various aircraft. This gamemode offers players an easy way to earn Silver Lions and Research Points, making it a relatively beginner-friendly option for newer players. This guide explores the mechanics of Ground Assault, provides a list of vehicles used by enemy AI units, and offers a detailed breakdown of the layouts for all 7 maps.
Overview
The objective of Ground Assault is to defend the capture zone (the area around the spawn point) from waves of AI enemies. Ammo can be replenished in the capture zone; repairs and crew replenishment can also be carried out inside of the zone. Each match lasts around 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how fast players destroy the AI enemies.
Players will have 30 seconds after the match begins to reposition before the first wave of enemies begins to spawn in. There are 11 waves of enemies in total.
A wave ends after all enemies in that wave are destroyed. There is a 5 second intermission between each wave, where a small number of tickets will be added to the total amount of friendly tickets. Equipment pickups also appear during these intermissions, which can be used to replenish crew and ammo.
If enemy AI units manage to enter the capture zone, the team’s total amount of tickets will begin to drop. The match is lost after the team’s number of tickets reaches 0.
Brackets
The types of enemy vehicles that spawn in are decided by what bracket the player is in. Brackets are based off of a battle rating range, and there are 6 brackets in total. Enemies in higher brackets are more modern and harder to destroy.
| First bracket | Second bracket | Third bracket | Fourth bracket | Fifth bracket | Sixth bracket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 — 2.3 | 2.7 — 3.7 | 4.0 — 5.0 | 5.3 — 6.3 | 6.7 — 8.0 | 8.3+ |
Waves
Different types of enemies appear with each wave, and the number of enemies increases as the waves progress. A counter showing the number of waves remaining is located at the bottom left of the screen.
Enemy SPAA units will also appear in 5th and 6th bracket battles. They will spawn in during the 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 11th wave.
Enemy types
- L — Light
- M — Medium
- MH — Medium Heavy / Intermediate
- H — Heavy
- CAS — Hostile air support
- SPAA — Hostile anti air
| Wave | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | L | M + CAS (+SPAA) | H | M | MH (+SPAA) | H | L + CAS | MH (+SPAA) | H | MH + CAS | H (+SPAA) |
Available vehicles
Players in the 1st–5th bracket can bring any ground vehicle in their lineup. In the 6th (toptier) bracket, players can also include helicopters in their Ground Assault lineup.
In all brackets, players also have the option to spawn in a temporary plane after destroying a set number of vehicles. There are 3 types of aircraft that can be spawned in: fighters, attackers, and bombers. However, in the 6th bracket, helicopters replace the attacker and bombers.
2 ground or air kills are needed to spawn in a fighter, 3 are required to spawn in an attacker/rocket-armed helicopter, and 8 are needed to spawn a bomber/ATGM-armed helicopter. There is also a timer for how long a player can “stay” in a vehicle. The duration of the timer depends on the vehicle type (shorter for fighters, longer for bombers).
The battle rating of the spawned aircraft is loosely related with the bracket; the 1st bracket can use interwar and early WW2 propeller aircraft, while the 5th and 6th bracket can access Cold War and modern jet aircraft.
Map rotation
There are 7 maps in Ground Assault. The map corresponds with the nation of the enemy AI vehicles, with the exception of Fulda which features a mix of vehicles from NATO nations. Note that you cannot choose what map to fight on.
Enemy vehicle brackets
Bracket 1 and 2
Bracket 1 mostly includes interwar vehicles and early WW2 tanks. Bracket 2 begins to introduce later and more heavily armored WW2 vehicles.
Notable enemies
Bracket 3 and 4
Enemy vehicles in Brackets 3 and 4 pose a much greater threat than those found in Brackets 1 and 2, with more powerful guns and thicker armor.
Notable enemies
Bracket 5 and 6
Bracket 5 mainly has late WW2 vehicles and Cold War vehicles, while Bracket 6 is entirely composed of Cold War to modern era tanks. SPAA units will also appear in both brackets to combat friendly aircraft.
In the 5th bracket, HEAT rounds will begin to become very useful due to the thick armor of late WW2 or early Cold War tanks, especially against the Soviet heavy tanks.
Note that Fulda has a mix of NATO vehicles for its 6th bracket.
Notable enemies
Rewards
Players receive standard Silver Lion and Research Point rewards with an Arcade battle multiplier. Premium vehicle bonuses, premium time, and vehicle talismans will also increase the amount of RP/SL earned. A free SL or RP booster is also rewarded for a player’s first Ground Assault battle of the day.
Warning: Activated SL and RP boosters do not work in Ground Assault.
Additionally, a single backup for ground vehicles may also be rewarded if the battle is won; the booster percentage amount is generally higher if the match is won.
Positioning for different maps
Positioning is crucial for success in Ground Assault. Since the AI enemies will spawn from set locations, players can position themselves to the side or behind a spawn area to pick up quick and easy kills.
Generally, players should stay nearby or in cover while fighting. Avoid open areas since the plethora of AI units will quickly dismantle anything that gets into their line of sight.
Ardennes
Sinai
Kursk
Mozdok
Fulda
Japan
Maginot Line
Other tips
- Coordinate with your teammates! Ground Assault battles are quite easy to win with proper teamwork and if everyone contributes their fair share to the total kill count.
- When creating a lineup for Ground Assault, make sure to have at least one vehicle that can penetrate the heavy tanks that spawn. If all of the tanks in your lineup have mediocre or poor penetration, it is recommended to flank the enemy spawn areas.
- Save your attacker/bomber spawns for a larger or heavier wave.
- Beware of the ground SPAA
if they are present, since they have extremely accurate aim and are lethal
below 3 km. Keep your distance and destroy them with ATGMs if possible.